STATter 911

(This entry is updated throughout the day, so scroll down. Last updated Sunday at 12:45 p.m.)

Craig Luecke wears many hats, with successful careers in the fire service and with web based businesses. With his Rockland USA Live!, Craig wants to help out firefighters in San Diego who lost their own homes while helping others.

On Monday at 4:00 p.m., Craig will be promoting Fireforce 2007. It's an effort to raise money to help out those firefighters. I hope to be calling in and joining Craig for a few minutes. Click the banner above to learn how you can listen and participate. Read more on FireGeezer.com.

Geezer on fire

Speaking of the Geezer, read his latest entry on the Deutsche Bank tragedy. More documents have been uncovered by this has-been fire captain turned crusading journalist. Well worth your time.

He also has a story that is the opposite of the one I have below. A fire station that doesn't even want firefighters sleeping at the firehouse.

Bunk mates

The modern day fire chief wants community involvement from their firefighters. Interacting with the citizens and inviting the into the fire stations. But apparently that only goes so far. In case you weren't sure, it is still against the rules to invite someone to share your firehouse bed. Read the bedtime story of one DC firefighter, along with his explanation.

By the way, one of my usual agitators (imagine that, a firefighter who likes to stir the pot), suggested I may be working on the marketing side, because a mattress ad showed up alongside the sleepover story. Total coincidence.

Take my hose, please

WithTheCommand.com found this story from the Catskills. The above New York Times photo by Suzanne DeChillo is of the old Concord hotel. Many famous comedians and other celebrities entertained at this resort. It is now used for firefighter training with fire crews coming back, year after year, to burn portions of the hotel.

The Monticello, NY fire chief, deputy fire chief and a firefighter all once worked there. Here's the story.

California fire policy

Some people feel the recent fire storms show there is a big lesson to learn about wildfires and how we handle them. Read this New York Times article.

Testing the waters

After months of battling, including the head of DC's water works saying, just two days ago, that the problems didn't start until this fire chief arrived, everyone made nice Friday. DC Fire & EMS Chief Dennis Rubin and Water & Sewer Authority General Manager Jerry Johnson now have an agreement on the future of hydrant testing. Johnson will do what he refused to answer question about for weeks, put up money for the testing. Read Allison Klein's article in The Washington Post.

FF Andrew Pikop from the San Diego Union-Tribune's Nelvin Cepeda

FF burned in Harris fire talks to reporter

We have been telling you all week about the four firefighters burned in the San Diego area while trying to rescue a father and son. The San Diego Union-Tribune has an interview with one of them, 27-year-old Andrew Pikop.

The fire service and the Internet

Since I first learned about it a few months back, I have enjoyed reading Charles Bailey's tinhelmet.com. The most recent entry by William Carey is quite interesting. It is called Fire Service and the Internet. Friend or Foe? and begins this way:

I believe that the sole contributor to the loss of honor, brotherhood and loyalty is probably the most used instrument in the fire service; the Internet.

While he only focuses on the downside of communicating in the electronic age, Carey makes some very valid points that are well worth reading. These are issues I wrestle with every day in our comments section.

My business and your business have changed forever. The genie is out of the bottle, but it would be nice if we could tame it a bit.

# posted by Dave Statter @ 12:45 PM